Roses Have Thorns: The Complicated Date
by Special Agent Black Storm
Summary: Set after RHT: Love Script. Bobby keeps his Valentines Day promise.


Disclaimer: Not mine. Sadly, I don't think they ever will be!  
  
A/N: This is the Third in the 'Roses Have Thorns' series. It slots in right Love Script. In this fic, Bobby has to pay for losing the bet. Bobby, Alex, a Romantic dinner. What could go wrong? Nothing, if they weren't who they were!  
  
Dedicated: To all my faithful readers who have followed the fics 'Roses Have Thorns' and 'Love Script' to where it is now! Happy Valentines Day everyone!  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"If you find them, I'll take you out on a date." Bobby offered.  
  
All the more reason to nail the bitch. My Bobby!!!  
  
"In that case. Tell Deakins to reserve an interrogation room for me ok?"  
  
**  
  
"So, Bobby? Where are we going?" Alex asked, smirking.   
  
They were packing for the day. Alex wouldn't stop hopping from one foot to another and was wearing a grin that didn't seem to want to leave her face. Bobby considered himself lucky, he hadn't been able to get a reservation at a restaurant, but when he spoke to Deakins, who had connections, his boss revealed that there was a high society ball on, that required security and law enforcement personnel, a senator was going to make an appearance.   
  
Deakins offered him the opportunity of going, Goren, who knew that his partner would give him hell if he didn't take it, agreed. Well, that and the fact that she'd also be disappointed and deserved it. And Bobby couldn't bear to see her sad, besides. What were the chances of something happening?  
  
Alex had packed all her things and was waiting for him to join her on their journey to the elevators. Bobby knew she was excited on winning her reward for her efforts, why else she was so excited he would never know.   
  
"I told you, that's a surprise. Pick you up at 6:30?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll be ready by then. What's the dress?"  
  
"Uh. Evening gown, it's a formal event. And you may want to take that little Siggy you have, you may need it."  
  
"Why?" Alex asked suspiciously.  
  
"Well." Goren said, contemplating the chances of him loosing the ability to procreate. "Ok don't kill me. I couldn't get any reservations so I asked Deakins for help, and he told me that he was scrambling for people to go undercover at this high-society ball. It would go on our record and everything. I knew how disappointed you would be if we didn't go anywhere, so I took it. We don't pay for anything. The tickets are 250 bucks each anyway. I hope it's okay with you." He gave her the cute puppy dog look that the female species could never seem to resist.  
  
Alex stared at her partner, not quite sure whether than to kill him or to hug him for going that far to take her out. She took the latter option and dropped her stuff, latching herself to his larger frame. "That's perfect."  
  
The taller detective breathed out a sigh of relief, and held onto her smaller body, noticing that while she barely reached his neck, they fit perfectly.  
  
Letting go of her partner, the petite blonde slapped her partner's arm in faux annoyance. "You should have told me sooner! I need to get a dress, and... and."  
  
"It's been taken care of. While you were busy nailing your perp, I made a few phone calls, it's all arranged, everything is at you neighbours place."  
  
"Oh." She looked away for a while, deep in thought. Apparently reading her mind, her partner tipped up her chin and spoke to her gently. " It's not your fault that Annabelle got to here. It weren't for you, we wouldn't even know about her."  
  
"Yeah... well... by the way, who'd you call to get all that done?"  
  
Bobby looked away sheepishly. "Bishop. She's actually not bad at all. We just didn't get along very well professionally. I guess a missed you too, which didn't help, but she was great. Did you know, she is actually Deakin's daughter's best friend?"  
  
"I had no idea. One other thing, how on earth did you get my dress size?" Alex said narrowing her eyes.  
  
On the tip of his tongue, Bobby was going to say that you tended to notice when your partner had a figure like her's. But he didn't want her to take it the wrong way, or something was going on. What came out was perfectly legitimate.  
  
"I called your sister. Or rather she called me."  
  
Looking at the office clock, Bobby made gestures toward the elevator and they rode down together in companionable silence.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Alex rushed out of the bathroom. Not only had traffic been worse than usual, but also her sister had called.  
  
She practically ran into the bedroom, almost stacking as a result of polished wooden floors and wet feet. Remembered she left the bags she had retrieved from her neighbours in the living room, and hurried to collect them, all the while cursing traffic and muttering about how men had it easy.  
  
Finally, when she got the four or so bags into her room she pulled everything out of the bags. Again she cursed, looking at the amount of time she had, this time silently yelling at Goren for leaving her little time to prepare.  
  
The detective quickly used the half an hour that she had, and pulled out heels and the dress. Normally, Alex would have gasped at the sight of the garment, but in her hurried haste to get ready, she post-ponned it until she actually had it on.  
  
It was a beautifully cut black silk dress, with thin spaghetti-straps that crossed at the back, a high slit up to mid-calf and a bit of excess material at the front, so it drooped stylishly on her chest exposing an acceptable amount of cleavage at a high-end function.  
  
As she pulled it on, the aforementioned gasped was emitted and she rummaged through the rest of the bag. Next she discovered discovered three jewelry boxes and a note. "Commlink bracelet, transmitting ring and earring with earpieces and bug killer." The note further explained that one of the jewels from each of the earrings could be removed and us a tracking device. Eames' investigator mind kicked in and noted to ask Goren about it later.   
  
She pulled open the boxes to reveal the pieces of diamond pieces, all sparkling, for all the work showing that she was of high class, masking that they were for the less acceptable practice of surveillance. Noticing another box, not matching the ones, which had 'NYPD Technilab' emblem on it. No, this one was baby pink with a silver ribbon around it. She read the little card, eyes misting a bit as she read it.   
  
'Dear Alex  
  
Happy Valentines Day! Thanks for putting up with us!  
  
Thankful threesome,  
  
Ron, James and Bobby.'  
  
She smiled as she read the little yellow memo that she her partner had stuck on the back of it.   
  
'Uh, yeah. That was them a bit weird! But really, we mean it. Love, Bobby.'  
  
She tugged at the ribbon and produced an exquisite piece of jewelry out of the box. It was a diamond choker set in sterling silver. She replaced it in the box, waiting to put in on last.   
  
Alex hurriedly styled her hair so that it was in a twist at the back of her next, with strands untracked, framing her face. Applying smoky eyeshadow and other makeup basics, she stepped back and looked at the new-look Alexandra Jaime Eames. Sitting on her bed, she initiated her struggle with the new heels. So involved she was with them, that she didn't hear her prompt partner worriedly stick his emergency key in the keyhole and walk in cautiously.   
  
He monitored every room thoroughly and quietly, concern growing room by room. When Goren got to her bedroom, he smiled at the sight of his professional, all business partner arguing with the straps of her shoes. Bobby replaced his weapon back to his shoulder holster and leaned against the doorframe.  
  
"Almost done, detective?"  
  
Startled, said detective jumped slightly before offering a sheepish smile. "Yeah, just let me put that choker on. You really shouldn't have, it must have cost a fortune."  
  
"Actually it didn't, Deakins has connections basically all over the city, I had plenty of money as did Carver. What were we supposed to do? Spend it on our mothers?"  
  
Alex moved to the mirror, struggling with the clasp. Bobby moved behind her and stilled her hands, taking the necklace and fastened it.  
  
"I've got something else for you, ya know?" Bobby said, catching her eyes in the mirror.  
  
"What?" Alex said, half- excited, half-worried. You never knew what Bobby would do.  
  
"More of these." He produced the roses he had left in the living room and handed them to her. "Happy Valentines Day, Alex."  
  
"Bobby, you shouldn't have! Thank-you." She said hugging him again, hugs seemed to be a popular occurrence during the course of the day.  
  
"Well, we really need to get going."  
  
"Just let me grab my things."   
  
Goren walked out to the living room to wait, Alex waited until he was gone before she pulled out a small Sig. Sauer 38 miniature special out of a box and holstered it around her thigh. She stowed her standard issue Glock 9 millimeter and stowed that and extra clips into her purse.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
In the car, Alex let her curiosity out and bombarded her partner with questions. "Ok, Goren, 'fess up!" she said in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "What's with all that surveillance equipment, and the Sig., the invitation, the whole thing. Don't leave anything out."  
  
Goren who had been waiting for her question answered. "I was instructed not to tell you this, I was just going to tell you we were undercover, but all Deakins could tell me, was that something heavy was going down tonight. Drugs, espionage, the whole nine wards. All connected to one suspect,"  
  
He took his hand from the steering wheel for a second and withdrew a snapshot from his pocket. "Edvard El Pso, responsible for murder's all over South America and the U.S, he's the mastermind of a large syndicate. Annabelle Wilson is one of his closest agents. Edvard in rumoured to make an appearance tonight. The feds are luring him out with a large porcelain-like vase, except her thinks it's made of cocaine, when in actual fact it's cocaine."  
  
"There's more, Deakins needed heavy and experienced hands to handle this case, we are the best he has, so that's why we're here." he looked over at her. "Listen Alex, I'm really sorry about this, I promise I'll take you to a proper dinner alright?"  
  
Alex smiled at him, understanding his reasons in taking this assignment. In truth she didn't mind, and she told him that if it meant nailing El Pso and Wilson, she would do it.   
  
"By the way, the Syndicate is called Konfizsaeren, German for 'to confiscate' don't ask me why El Pso is of Spanish origin."  
  
At this, Alex paled considerable, her partner noticed and asked her about it, and she answered unsteadily. "I found out a few years ago that Konfizsaeren were the ones responsible for the capture and torture on my brother, Jeffery. He was FBI, working on the case. He managed to escape but he was too heavily doped and crashed."  
  
"I'm sorry." Goren said sympathetically.   
  
"It's okay."  
  
They continued the rest of the drive in silence, each persons thoughts going the opposite direction.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Bobby let the valet park the car and led his partner through security where a man promptly discreetly flashed his badge at them, signifying that he was a federal agent and instructed them to follow him to a room. When they go there, they met up with several other personnel.  
  
Deakins was talking to someone who looked to be the SAC. When the other man noticed the two, he walked over to greet them, "I'm Special-Agent-in-Charge Derek Skinner, you must be Goren and Eames."  
  
"Yeah." Alex answered for both of them.   
  
"Pleased to meet you." Skinner said, shaking both detectives' hands, then addressing everyone in the room he said.  
  
"I apologize, we do not have the time for the usual pleasantries. This is a joint operation, with ATF, DEA, FBI, CIA and the NYPD, as well as various others. This is Agent Bernard Antonio, he's ATF." the SAC continued introducing various other personnel under his command for the night.  
  
"Jackson Daniel, DEA, Sarah Chegwidden, she's CIA, Agent Toby Fox and myself will be FBI representatives. I'll let Deakins introduce everyone else."  
  
Deakins stood up, and started to speak. "I'm Captain James Deakins, Detectives Alexandra Eames and Robert Goren work in my Squad, Major Case, in the NYPD. Detective's Johnson and Bishop are all so in my squad. We have Internal Affairs William Jenkins as well. As well as this, we have our audio and visual teams in place. I'm sure you have all been briefed on your objectives, but I will go over this again, our assignments are to arrest Annabelle Wilson a.k.a. Shenya Katz, and Edvard El Pso. Any questions?"  
  
"No sir!" Were chorused around and one by one, the room was drained.   
  
Deakins and Skinner were the last to leave. "This better work Derek, that's a cop killer in my squad."  
  
"James, we are talking about a syndicate that's responsible for international felonies, I want to nail this guys ass as much as you do. We'll catch him."  
  
The two friends and colleagues exchanged a glance, before Deakins too, slipped out, leaving the FBI agent to wonder if there was any truth in their previous conversation at all.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
So did anyone like it? 


End file.
